I'm from the older set, and yes, I am completely devastated. It reminds me of Elvis and when he died. People mourned him forever, and I looked at him like a perverted, drug addicted thief~! Elvis meant **** to me...his image, his success was based on racist practices of that era in the music industry. At that young age, I could not understand why people mourned his death the way they did.
And now we have Michael Jackson--an untimely death. How many here are old enough to remember the television debut? What a sad and troubled life he led, and yet, he came out on top, as the king of pop!
There hasn't been anyone like Elvis, until MJ, on a world scale, I don't think we have anyone else to really compare that to in our current generation(s). It's sad. Losing him is a SHOCK to many.
His life was hell, and he may or may not have done things that brought attention, criminal even. That is unforgivable and yet Thomas Jefferson did lots of things and he still remains a hero. I won't and refuse to think of his troubled side of life during this time. MJ was an icon from the past...if you didn't grow up during that time, I question your basis of feeling and what pressures you to feel that way. I tire from the detractors.
Humans fail, everyday. This isn't something new. Even with his failures, this is still a monumental loss...one that ranks up there with Elvis and Lady Di. This WILL be in the media spotlight for days and days and days....as it should be.